I feel like the demo could release now.
E3 Next Tales Game Is Tales Of Arise
- Thread starter cm2
- Start date
Wonder on the PLOT physics quality level in the demo UE4 allows some great physics stuff with it lol.
Read an early incomplete review from digitaltrends, nice! :
The story follows a formula that many fans of the JRPG genre will immediately be familiar with. A technologically advanced and powerful race of people called the Renan have invaded and enslaved a race of people called the Dahnan. These Renan “Bright Eyes” (a slur used on them by the Dahnan people) have split up the land once belonging to the Dahnan into five sections. Each of these sections is ruled by a different lord, giving us a task fit for JRPG traveling.
After being introduced to the backstory of this world, I gained control of a mysterious man with “no face,” Iron Mask. Not only is his face always covered by this odd helmet, but Iron Mask can’t physically feel pain. Nor can he remember his past beyond being saved by a Dahnan man. He soon meets Shionne, a Renan on the run with the same goals as Iron Mask and other Dahnan resistance members. Though they don’t immediately hit it off, these two characters with pasts shrouded in mystery put aside their differences and work to take down the Renan regime, lord by lord.
Though the characters and story pull straight from the JRPG world’s classic archetypes, I couldn’t help but really enjoy them. There’s real chemistry between the characters already and I can easily see “sparking” (you’ll see how that word is a pun sooner) into a romance. That really pulled me in and made me immediately invested in their travels and conversations.
Shionne is a girl that is electric to the touch. Anyone that touches her is hit with a bolt of pain. She is visibly bewildered when Iron Mask touches her to save her and is unfazed. The two make for the perfect duo — a likely future king and queen of this land. While Iron Mask can’t feel pain, making it easy for him to take tons of damage without noticing, Shionne is a healer — another piece of their chemistry that had me thinking that these two should just tie the knot already.
Very anime moments and connections like that really make the early hours of Tales of Arise so intriguing. I have to give a ton of credit to Iron Mask’s English voice actor as well. While the entire cast does a notable job in this snippet, something about his delivery really makes the character feel real. He has a certain dry grit that really brings the character to life.
Thankfully I got to hear his voice a lot as skits made a return to the series. Skits are dialogue sequences that will randomly pop up during exploration segments of the game. A prompt will show up and upon accepting it, you’ll be able to see the characters in your party have a short conversation about various topics. It seems like we’ll be getting to know these characters very well by the end of the journey, and that’s exciting.
Another thing that immediately stands out in this demo is the visuals. While they aren’t what you might think of when you hear “next-gen,” the art style and visuals of Tales of Arise are absolutely beautiful. It really felt like they threw me inside of a painting at times.
During my travels, I’d find myself just looking at the character models or environments in awe. This style is new to the series and. so far, it seems that Bandai Namco has completely knocked it out of the park on its first try.
Speaking of successes, the new battle system (titled the “Linear Motion Battle System”) is an immediate joy to dig into. It’s a real step forward from previous games in the Tales series. While all the action and potential combos are still there, here we find a system closer to what Final Fantasy VII Remake accomplished. That’s something I personally welcome with open arms, as FFVII Remake found the perfect modern take on classic JRPG combat by ditching turn-based battles for more active ones.
Battles happen in real time, using hack and slash gameplay. You have a basic attack string and special moves (called “Artes”) like launchers, projectiles, heals, revives, etc. Players can’t use healing and support Artes willy nilly though, as they’re limited by Cure Points. These points are shared across the party and can be replenished with items or resting at an inn or campsite.
Later on, I unlocked what are essentially super attacks. These freeze the screen for a second, allowing one character to unleash a somewhat long attack, giving players enough time to switch to another character and rack up longer combos.
It’s not all cut and dried though, as players will need to pay attention during combat to get the highest damage output possible. To do this, they’ll have to monitor their Artes gauge (AG) and the attacks they’ve already used.
Attack Artes are limited by the gauge, so players have to wait out a cooldown to continue using them in a combo. They’ll need to avoid diminishing returns in combos as well, as using the same Arte in a combo multiple times within four actions will decrease its penetration. This means enemies will recover from being in juggle state sooner and an Artes’ effectiveness will be halved.
The strategy created by those rules constantly had me on my toes while in battle. Plus, the fact that you can still switch characters at any time in combat had me testing out tons of team juggle abilities. Iron Mask can launch up and continue an air combo while Shionne uses her laser to bounce the enemy back up, allowing Iron Mask to continue a ground chain juggle. That’s just a small taste of how complex the battles can get.
All in all, Tales of Arise feels like a welcome evolution to the series and the JRPG genre in general. It really cements the fact that Final Fantasy VII Remake was a step forward for the genre and games like Arise are looking to push that momentum even further.
A classic JRPG affair
The story follows a formula that many fans of the JRPG genre will immediately be familiar with. A technologically advanced and powerful race of people called the Renan have invaded and enslaved a race of people called the Dahnan. These Renan “Bright Eyes” (a slur used on them by the Dahnan people) have split up the land once belonging to the Dahnan into five sections. Each of these sections is ruled by a different lord, giving us a task fit for JRPG traveling.
After being introduced to the backstory of this world, I gained control of a mysterious man with “no face,” Iron Mask. Not only is his face always covered by this odd helmet, but Iron Mask can’t physically feel pain. Nor can he remember his past beyond being saved by a Dahnan man. He soon meets Shionne, a Renan on the run with the same goals as Iron Mask and other Dahnan resistance members. Though they don’t immediately hit it off, these two characters with pasts shrouded in mystery put aside their differences and work to take down the Renan regime, lord by lord.
Though the characters and story pull straight from the JRPG world’s classic archetypes, I couldn’t help but really enjoy them. There’s real chemistry between the characters already and I can easily see “sparking” (you’ll see how that word is a pun sooner) into a romance. That really pulled me in and made me immediately invested in their travels and conversations.
Shionne is a girl that is electric to the touch. Anyone that touches her is hit with a bolt of pain. She is visibly bewildered when Iron Mask touches her to save her and is unfazed. The two make for the perfect duo — a likely future king and queen of this land. While Iron Mask can’t feel pain, making it easy for him to take tons of damage without noticing, Shionne is a healer — another piece of their chemistry that had me thinking that these two should just tie the knot already.
Very anime moments and connections like that really make the early hours of Tales of Arise so intriguing. I have to give a ton of credit to Iron Mask’s English voice actor as well. While the entire cast does a notable job in this snippet, something about his delivery really makes the character feel real. He has a certain dry grit that really brings the character to life.
Thankfully I got to hear his voice a lot as skits made a return to the series. Skits are dialogue sequences that will randomly pop up during exploration segments of the game. A prompt will show up and upon accepting it, you’ll be able to see the characters in your party have a short conversation about various topics. It seems like we’ll be getting to know these characters very well by the end of the journey, and that’s exciting.
Dazzling visuals
Another thing that immediately stands out in this demo is the visuals. While they aren’t what you might think of when you hear “next-gen,” the art style and visuals of Tales of Arise are absolutely beautiful. It really felt like they threw me inside of a painting at times.
During my travels, I’d find myself just looking at the character models or environments in awe. This style is new to the series and. so far, it seems that Bandai Namco has completely knocked it out of the park on its first try.
Evolving battles
Speaking of successes, the new battle system (titled the “Linear Motion Battle System”) is an immediate joy to dig into. It’s a real step forward from previous games in the Tales series. While all the action and potential combos are still there, here we find a system closer to what Final Fantasy VII Remake accomplished. That’s something I personally welcome with open arms, as FFVII Remake found the perfect modern take on classic JRPG combat by ditching turn-based battles for more active ones.
Battles happen in real time, using hack and slash gameplay. You have a basic attack string and special moves (called “Artes”) like launchers, projectiles, heals, revives, etc. Players can’t use healing and support Artes willy nilly though, as they’re limited by Cure Points. These points are shared across the party and can be replenished with items or resting at an inn or campsite.
Later on, I unlocked what are essentially super attacks. These freeze the screen for a second, allowing one character to unleash a somewhat long attack, giving players enough time to switch to another character and rack up longer combos.
It’s not all cut and dried though, as players will need to pay attention during combat to get the highest damage output possible. To do this, they’ll have to monitor their Artes gauge (AG) and the attacks they’ve already used.
Attack Artes are limited by the gauge, so players have to wait out a cooldown to continue using them in a combo. They’ll need to avoid diminishing returns in combos as well, as using the same Arte in a combo multiple times within four actions will decrease its penetration. This means enemies will recover from being in juggle state sooner and an Artes’ effectiveness will be halved.
The strategy created by those rules constantly had me on my toes while in battle. Plus, the fact that you can still switch characters at any time in combat had me testing out tons of team juggle abilities. Iron Mask can launch up and continue an air combo while Shionne uses her laser to bounce the enemy back up, allowing Iron Mask to continue a ground chain juggle. That’s just a small taste of how complex the battles can get.
All in all, Tales of Arise feels like a welcome evolution to the series and the JRPG genre in general. It really cements the fact that Final Fantasy VII Remake was a step forward for the genre and games like Arise are looking to push that momentum even further.
Read from RPGsite, producer interview:
Adam Vitale, RPG Site: To start things off, I’m quite familiar with the Tales series, but I see several people who haven’t played a Tales game finding interest in Tales of Arise. How would you describe what Tales of Arise is for those new to the series?
Yusuke Tomizawa, Tales of Arise Producer: First of all, this is the first time that we have simultaneously localized and are going to be simultaneously launching a Tales game worldwide. And that has, of course, created opportunities like this for me to come and promote the game. I really wanted to create this environment where fans around the world could enjoy the game being launched at the same time.
I think a lot of overseas players will have had Tales of Symphonia as their first Tales game. However, not all the games that have come out since then have been localized to English. Only some have come out on Steam for PC. A sign of how much we want overseas audiences, overseas fans, to be playing this game is that we've got 11 languages, in terms of texts, and then the two voiceover languages, Japanese and English. Launching simultaneously - it was a struggle, but that's how much we wanted to get this game out to as many people as possible. We've also done a lot of work on the graphic design, on the visuals, and on the game design, which will make it easier for Western audiences, in particular, to come to Tales of Arise as their first entry into the Tales of series.
RPG Site: When I look at Tales of Arise, at a glance, it does seem noticeably different than what the series has looked like before. Not just in terms of not just the visual style, but also the combat gameplay and other elements like campfires scenes. Can you detail how Tales of Arise has evolved the series?
Tomizawa: The theme of our development with this game was ‘Inheritance and Evolution’. As you know, Tales has a 25-year history and there are certain elements of the series that have almost become a part of ‘Tales of’ culture. Our challenge with Tales of Arise was how to modernize some of those elements. It was a challenge, but it was something that we really wanted to achieve. You can clearly feel some of these differences once you’ve played the demo. However, at the same time, there were elements that we knew we have to keep from the Tales of franchise. For example, we still need players to be able to feel the depth of the relationships between the characters, and the way those characters grow and develop throughout the game.
RPG Site: In talking about characters, the Tales of ‘Skit’ system is pretty beloved by the fanbase. In Tales of Arise, from both the trailers and the demo, it looks new in how it is presented. Can you explain how the Skit system has changed from what it has been historically?
Tomizawa: The biggest thing that has changed with the skit system is that, whereas before they were in 2d anime style, now we use the actual 3d models from the game for the characters. They act out the skits in these comic-book-like frames, and that's just one element that we've modernized and evolved in the game. We wanted the characters to feel more uniform throughout the game, which is why we've used the same 3d models for all the kit sections. Plus, for example, if a character changes their costume, or depending on whether the skit is taking place at night or during the daytime, or where it's taking place, the skit will change accordingly and reflect what's going on immediately before the skit. That's something else that we put a lot of work into and we wanted the players to be able to experience that.
I know that a lot of fans really liked the 2d anime skit sections, but I hope that they will give the new skit system a chance, because we think that it brings a lot to the game. We hope they'll agree once they've played it.
RPG Site: Getting into weeds just a bit: can you describe what a player will be doing in the game when they are not in combat or when they are not in a story cutscene? For example, how does navigating the field areas or dungeon areas of the game come into play?
Tomizawa: In terms of exploration, which I think is what you're getting at, Tales games have largely been focused on two main aspects, which have been the character drama and then the action battles. But this time, we wanted to focus more on the exploration side - on the field. You are in this game free to wander around to explore, to look at the scenery in a way that is a part of a classic RPG game - that we wanted players to be able to enjoy with Tales of Arise. You can now jump, dash, and swim in the field. And it's much more intuitive. There are also a variety of minigames to play along the way.
There's a lot going on that isn't directly part of the story that isn't battling or dungeons or cutscenes. But I don't want any misunderstanding: Arise is not an open-world game. The exploration that you do in the field is often all about getting to know the characters better. You've got bits of voice chat that will help you to understand them. However, you can't just ignore the main story and go off and keep exploring.
RPG Site: Are there sidequests?
Tomizawa: There are lots of side quests, apart from the main story, that townspeople might give you.
RPG Site: This is a bit of a mechanics question. I saw that there's now this new Cure Point (CP) system in the demo that I was a little bit confused about, as it seems to have two different purposes. It's used to both heal your party as well as seemingly to activate different things on the field. Can you explain the Cure Point system?
Tomizawa: In the past you had TP, but now the difference with the Cure Points is that they don't simply recover with time, as they do with all the other gauges. It's partly because we don't want players just to be able to keep using those abilities in a battle scenario. While you are exploring, you will come across events where you can use your CP as you're traveling through the dungeon, and it's a choice we wanted to give the player whether to use their valuable CP to, say, break down that wall or not. If you do choose to use your CP to break down a wall, for example, it's not going to take you to the main route, it's going to take you to a sub route. There might be a really good weapon in there that you can use in battle, or there might be some kind of healing items there. So, it's a choice for the player whether you keep hold of your valuable CP and keep going on the main routes or if you use them up to see what you're going to get.
RPG Site: Is there anything else about Tales of Arise that you wanted to mention that we haven’t had a chance to touch on yet?
Tomizawa: We haven't had a chance to talk about the graphics. This is something else that has really evolved in this title compared to the rest of the series. We've changed to Unreal Engine 4, and as a result of that, the graphics are more realistic but, at the same time, we've managed to balance that with that colorful world and warm painterly quality that you expect from the Tales of series. We've managed to achieve that balance thanks to Unreal Engine 4, and we think that this is going to be a very attractive element of the game for new players around the world.
RPG Site: Good call. The game still has that anime style to it, but it’s also unique with that, like you said, that painterly look as well.
I do have one more question that you may not be able to answer. Can I give it a shot? In recent (and also not-so-recent) years, we've seen a few Tales of re-releases of games such as Tales of Symphonia and Tales of Vesperia. Do you have any future plans for more re-releases in the series?
Tomizawa: The Tales of series has some games that were either remade or remastered. We think of the Tales of series as a big family. And, yes, there is a possibility that in the future, some of the past titles may well be re-released. I haven't got any details at the moment, but it's something that we're always thinking about.
RPG Site: Thank you for your time.
Adam Vitale, RPG Site: To start things off, I’m quite familiar with the Tales series, but I see several people who haven’t played a Tales game finding interest in Tales of Arise. How would you describe what Tales of Arise is for those new to the series?
Yusuke Tomizawa, Tales of Arise Producer: First of all, this is the first time that we have simultaneously localized and are going to be simultaneously launching a Tales game worldwide. And that has, of course, created opportunities like this for me to come and promote the game. I really wanted to create this environment where fans around the world could enjoy the game being launched at the same time.
I think a lot of overseas players will have had Tales of Symphonia as their first Tales game. However, not all the games that have come out since then have been localized to English. Only some have come out on Steam for PC. A sign of how much we want overseas audiences, overseas fans, to be playing this game is that we've got 11 languages, in terms of texts, and then the two voiceover languages, Japanese and English. Launching simultaneously - it was a struggle, but that's how much we wanted to get this game out to as many people as possible. We've also done a lot of work on the graphic design, on the visuals, and on the game design, which will make it easier for Western audiences, in particular, to come to Tales of Arise as their first entry into the Tales of series.
RPG Site: When I look at Tales of Arise, at a glance, it does seem noticeably different than what the series has looked like before. Not just in terms of not just the visual style, but also the combat gameplay and other elements like campfires scenes. Can you detail how Tales of Arise has evolved the series?
Tomizawa: The theme of our development with this game was ‘Inheritance and Evolution’. As you know, Tales has a 25-year history and there are certain elements of the series that have almost become a part of ‘Tales of’ culture. Our challenge with Tales of Arise was how to modernize some of those elements. It was a challenge, but it was something that we really wanted to achieve. You can clearly feel some of these differences once you’ve played the demo. However, at the same time, there were elements that we knew we have to keep from the Tales of franchise. For example, we still need players to be able to feel the depth of the relationships between the characters, and the way those characters grow and develop throughout the game.
RPG Site: In talking about characters, the Tales of ‘Skit’ system is pretty beloved by the fanbase. In Tales of Arise, from both the trailers and the demo, it looks new in how it is presented. Can you explain how the Skit system has changed from what it has been historically?
Tomizawa: The biggest thing that has changed with the skit system is that, whereas before they were in 2d anime style, now we use the actual 3d models from the game for the characters. They act out the skits in these comic-book-like frames, and that's just one element that we've modernized and evolved in the game. We wanted the characters to feel more uniform throughout the game, which is why we've used the same 3d models for all the kit sections. Plus, for example, if a character changes their costume, or depending on whether the skit is taking place at night or during the daytime, or where it's taking place, the skit will change accordingly and reflect what's going on immediately before the skit. That's something else that we put a lot of work into and we wanted the players to be able to experience that.
I know that a lot of fans really liked the 2d anime skit sections, but I hope that they will give the new skit system a chance, because we think that it brings a lot to the game. We hope they'll agree once they've played it.
RPG Site: Getting into weeds just a bit: can you describe what a player will be doing in the game when they are not in combat or when they are not in a story cutscene? For example, how does navigating the field areas or dungeon areas of the game come into play?
Tomizawa: In terms of exploration, which I think is what you're getting at, Tales games have largely been focused on two main aspects, which have been the character drama and then the action battles. But this time, we wanted to focus more on the exploration side - on the field. You are in this game free to wander around to explore, to look at the scenery in a way that is a part of a classic RPG game - that we wanted players to be able to enjoy with Tales of Arise. You can now jump, dash, and swim in the field. And it's much more intuitive. There are also a variety of minigames to play along the way.
There's a lot going on that isn't directly part of the story that isn't battling or dungeons or cutscenes. But I don't want any misunderstanding: Arise is not an open-world game. The exploration that you do in the field is often all about getting to know the characters better. You've got bits of voice chat that will help you to understand them. However, you can't just ignore the main story and go off and keep exploring.
RPG Site: Are there sidequests?
Tomizawa: There are lots of side quests, apart from the main story, that townspeople might give you.
RPG Site: This is a bit of a mechanics question. I saw that there's now this new Cure Point (CP) system in the demo that I was a little bit confused about, as it seems to have two different purposes. It's used to both heal your party as well as seemingly to activate different things on the field. Can you explain the Cure Point system?
Tomizawa: In the past you had TP, but now the difference with the Cure Points is that they don't simply recover with time, as they do with all the other gauges. It's partly because we don't want players just to be able to keep using those abilities in a battle scenario. While you are exploring, you will come across events where you can use your CP as you're traveling through the dungeon, and it's a choice we wanted to give the player whether to use their valuable CP to, say, break down that wall or not. If you do choose to use your CP to break down a wall, for example, it's not going to take you to the main route, it's going to take you to a sub route. There might be a really good weapon in there that you can use in battle, or there might be some kind of healing items there. So, it's a choice for the player whether you keep hold of your valuable CP and keep going on the main routes or if you use them up to see what you're going to get.
RPG Site: Is there anything else about Tales of Arise that you wanted to mention that we haven’t had a chance to touch on yet?
Tomizawa: We haven't had a chance to talk about the graphics. This is something else that has really evolved in this title compared to the rest of the series. We've changed to Unreal Engine 4, and as a result of that, the graphics are more realistic but, at the same time, we've managed to balance that with that colorful world and warm painterly quality that you expect from the Tales of series. We've managed to achieve that balance thanks to Unreal Engine 4, and we think that this is going to be a very attractive element of the game for new players around the world.
RPG Site: Good call. The game still has that anime style to it, but it’s also unique with that, like you said, that painterly look as well.
I do have one more question that you may not be able to answer. Can I give it a shot? In recent (and also not-so-recent) years, we've seen a few Tales of re-releases of games such as Tales of Symphonia and Tales of Vesperia. Do you have any future plans for more re-releases in the series?
Tomizawa: The Tales of series has some games that were either remade or remastered. We think of the Tales of series as a big family. And, yes, there is a possibility that in the future, some of the past titles may well be re-released. I haven't got any details at the moment, but it's something that we're always thinking about.
RPG Site: Thank you for your time.
nice interview.
Tales Of Arise will have a free upgrade from PS4 to PS5, so you are not getting the game come release day for your PS4 Mr. Demon?
Demon_Skeith
Demon_SkeithRead more preview from destructoid:
Having good leads in an RPG can be make-or-break for some games. Any lengthy role-playing game will likely ask you to spend somewhere from 40 or more hours with its cast, and the majority of it with the protagonist. That time gets easier if the protagonist is likeable, and thankfully, I really liked both of the protagonists of Tales of Arise during its first few hours.
Tales games, at least those I’ve played, have had some pretty good leads. I’d put Velvet Crowe and Yuri Lowell up as some of my favorites, and while I’m not sure if Alphen or Shionne are hitting those highs yet, I’ve enjoyed the time I’ve spent with them thus far. We had a chance to play through the first “section” of Tales of Arise, roughly the first few hours which introduce you to both characters; Alphen, the amnesiac man in the iron mask, and Shionne, the runaway royalty with her fair share of secrets.
For context, the world of Tales of Arise has two distinct nations: Dahna and Rena. Hundreds of years before the start of Arise, Rena invaded Dahna and subjugated its people, resulting in a present-day scenario of technologically advanced, militarily superior Rena forcing the Dahnan populace into servitude. Dahnan civilians are also unable to use astral artes, like healing, and are often outfitted with special crystals by the Renans. Those seem significant, though it’s not clear just how yet, outside them acting as a symbol of Renan power over the Dahnans.
Initially, the protagonists end up meeting by chance: Alphen, who’s been working in the Dahnan labor camps for about a year with no memory prior, winds up running into Shionne as she’s escaping both Dahnan resistance fighters and Renan soldiers. As events progress, it becomes clear each has their own reason for wanting to fight against the Renan occupation.
Alphen has been, quite literally, thrust into a Man In The Iron Mask situation, working away his days with no face, name, or memories. In fact, for most of the intro, he just goes by Iron Mask. Day in and day out, he sees the cruelties inflicted on the Dahnan population, as they struggle and die laboring under Renan command.
Shionne, meanwhile, is a tad more mysterious. I got the sense there are greater motivations we have yet to learn, outside of the section I got to play, but the short version we’re presented with is that she’s being hunted by the Renans. She’s quickly positioned as both Renan and unlike the others, where she still has misgivings about working with the Dahnans. An entire plot point is about getting Shionne some Renan armor to wear, rather than Dahnan attire. But she also seems to greatly dislike the ruling class of Rena; she stole something precious from the local Renan lord, and with it, she’s attempting to overthrow the whole system.
It’s a very enemy-of-my-enemy setup, and the two protagonists often bicker and snipe at each other. Alphen is blissfully headstrong and sure of himself, even when it could lead to his own demise, while Shionne is cautious and reserved when it comes to discussing anything about herself. It becomes clear over time that both are trying to expand their view of the dual worlds they live in, while also fighting their internalized beliefs about each other’s worlds.
This thematically ties into their own abilities as well. Shionne can use astral artes, most notably healing, but also carries within her a flaming sword. Normally, the sword would scald anyone who wields it, and Shionne herself emits lightning (colloquially referred to as “thorns”) when anyone attempts to get near or touch her.
As it so happens, Alphen cannot feel pain, which is normally a bad thing, as he comments that he could be near death and not realize it at times. But when it comes to wielding a flaming sword, or working with a woman who shocks those around her, it comes in handy.
So these two, who stumbled into each other due to coincidence and find themselves working together due to an unlikely combination of complementary talents, are begrudgingly forced together. And watching them go through ebbs and flows of opening up and closing themselves off, wrestling with their own preconceptions and the secrets each is hiding, drives much of the early game of Tales of Arise.
The early section we saw only featured these characters, unlike our previous preview which let us go hands-on with a party of six fighters. Most of my comments on the battles, world exploration, and other systems hold true in the early hours. Using Boost Attacks and Boost Strikes emphasized the party aspect of combat, and with only two people to work with, much of the early game felt like Alphen and Shionne growing accustomed to working in tandem.
I also got to see some skits, a staple of the Tales series. For those who haven’t played a Tales game before Tales of Arise or need a refresher, these are short side scenes that play as you travel around the map or through a dungeon. They’re largely optional, and simply pop up as an option in the bottom-right corner; hit the button, and you’re treated to a minute or two of the characters talking amongst themselves about anything.
These can range from moments that build upon individual characters, to exploring party dynamics, and even to silly one-off goofs and jokes. In past Tales games, they’ve also frequently let characters speak their minds on what’s been going on in the main story, or highlighted certain dynamics and how they can create their own tensions and moments of growth for the group.
They’re legitimately one of my favorite parts of the Tales series, something that contributes to the series’ overall feel to me as a game about your party, and seeing them interact with and change each other over the course of the journey.
At just a few hours, it was a little early in Tales of Arise to get a sense of the breadth of skits (and I also didn’t really have the party size to explore that in the first place), but I will say one noticeable change is the production value of them. Rather than talking heads, comic panels with characters posing and occasionally animating move in and out. It’s not a drastic change, as they’re not really “cutscenes” or anything, but it’s a noticeable change that I hope can allow for skits to cover more ground and show more interactions, like two characters sparring.
Overall, the first few hours of Tales of Arise have me invested. It’s a good start, with some neat change-ups to the formula that have been gone over already. But storywise, I really want to see where Alphen and Shionne end up going with their arcs, both individually and as a pair. Whether their dynamic can keep things interesting throughout the length of a full-scale RPG is one thing, but in the short glimpse I got to see of it, I’m already pretty endeared to this prickly pairing of protagonists.
The newest Tales finds its core with its Odd Couple pair of heroes
Having good leads in an RPG can be make-or-break for some games. Any lengthy role-playing game will likely ask you to spend somewhere from 40 or more hours with its cast, and the majority of it with the protagonist. That time gets easier if the protagonist is likeable, and thankfully, I really liked both of the protagonists of Tales of Arise during its first few hours.
Tales games, at least those I’ve played, have had some pretty good leads. I’d put Velvet Crowe and Yuri Lowell up as some of my favorites, and while I’m not sure if Alphen or Shionne are hitting those highs yet, I’ve enjoyed the time I’ve spent with them thus far. We had a chance to play through the first “section” of Tales of Arise, roughly the first few hours which introduce you to both characters; Alphen, the amnesiac man in the iron mask, and Shionne, the runaway royalty with her fair share of secrets.
For context, the world of Tales of Arise has two distinct nations: Dahna and Rena. Hundreds of years before the start of Arise, Rena invaded Dahna and subjugated its people, resulting in a present-day scenario of technologically advanced, militarily superior Rena forcing the Dahnan populace into servitude. Dahnan civilians are also unable to use astral artes, like healing, and are often outfitted with special crystals by the Renans. Those seem significant, though it’s not clear just how yet, outside them acting as a symbol of Renan power over the Dahnans.
Initially, the protagonists end up meeting by chance: Alphen, who’s been working in the Dahnan labor camps for about a year with no memory prior, winds up running into Shionne as she’s escaping both Dahnan resistance fighters and Renan soldiers. As events progress, it becomes clear each has their own reason for wanting to fight against the Renan occupation.
Alphen has been, quite literally, thrust into a Man In The Iron Mask situation, working away his days with no face, name, or memories. In fact, for most of the intro, he just goes by Iron Mask. Day in and day out, he sees the cruelties inflicted on the Dahnan population, as they struggle and die laboring under Renan command.
Shionne, meanwhile, is a tad more mysterious. I got the sense there are greater motivations we have yet to learn, outside of the section I got to play, but the short version we’re presented with is that she’s being hunted by the Renans. She’s quickly positioned as both Renan and unlike the others, where she still has misgivings about working with the Dahnans. An entire plot point is about getting Shionne some Renan armor to wear, rather than Dahnan attire. But she also seems to greatly dislike the ruling class of Rena; she stole something precious from the local Renan lord, and with it, she’s attempting to overthrow the whole system.
It’s a very enemy-of-my-enemy setup, and the two protagonists often bicker and snipe at each other. Alphen is blissfully headstrong and sure of himself, even when it could lead to his own demise, while Shionne is cautious and reserved when it comes to discussing anything about herself. It becomes clear over time that both are trying to expand their view of the dual worlds they live in, while also fighting their internalized beliefs about each other’s worlds.
This thematically ties into their own abilities as well. Shionne can use astral artes, most notably healing, but also carries within her a flaming sword. Normally, the sword would scald anyone who wields it, and Shionne herself emits lightning (colloquially referred to as “thorns”) when anyone attempts to get near or touch her.
As it so happens, Alphen cannot feel pain, which is normally a bad thing, as he comments that he could be near death and not realize it at times. But when it comes to wielding a flaming sword, or working with a woman who shocks those around her, it comes in handy.
So these two, who stumbled into each other due to coincidence and find themselves working together due to an unlikely combination of complementary talents, are begrudgingly forced together. And watching them go through ebbs and flows of opening up and closing themselves off, wrestling with their own preconceptions and the secrets each is hiding, drives much of the early game of Tales of Arise.
The early section we saw only featured these characters, unlike our previous preview which let us go hands-on with a party of six fighters. Most of my comments on the battles, world exploration, and other systems hold true in the early hours. Using Boost Attacks and Boost Strikes emphasized the party aspect of combat, and with only two people to work with, much of the early game felt like Alphen and Shionne growing accustomed to working in tandem.
I also got to see some skits, a staple of the Tales series. For those who haven’t played a Tales game before Tales of Arise or need a refresher, these are short side scenes that play as you travel around the map or through a dungeon. They’re largely optional, and simply pop up as an option in the bottom-right corner; hit the button, and you’re treated to a minute or two of the characters talking amongst themselves about anything.
These can range from moments that build upon individual characters, to exploring party dynamics, and even to silly one-off goofs and jokes. In past Tales games, they’ve also frequently let characters speak their minds on what’s been going on in the main story, or highlighted certain dynamics and how they can create their own tensions and moments of growth for the group.
They’re legitimately one of my favorite parts of the Tales series, something that contributes to the series’ overall feel to me as a game about your party, and seeing them interact with and change each other over the course of the journey.
At just a few hours, it was a little early in Tales of Arise to get a sense of the breadth of skits (and I also didn’t really have the party size to explore that in the first place), but I will say one noticeable change is the production value of them. Rather than talking heads, comic panels with characters posing and occasionally animating move in and out. It’s not a drastic change, as they’re not really “cutscenes” or anything, but it’s a noticeable change that I hope can allow for skits to cover more ground and show more interactions, like two characters sparring.
Overall, the first few hours of Tales of Arise have me invested. It’s a good start, with some neat change-ups to the formula that have been gone over already. But storywise, I really want to see where Alphen and Shionne end up going with their arcs, both individually and as a pair. Whether their dynamic can keep things interesting throughout the length of a full-scale RPG is one thing, but in the short glimpse I got to see of it, I’m already pretty endeared to this prickly pairing of protagonists.
Tales Of Arise will have a free upgrade from PS4 to PS5, so you are not getting the game come release day for your PS4 Mr. Demon?
I have no issues buying a good game twice.
Played the demo and it's awesome!
Character interactions are great + their english voices are great too. Graphics are great, game runs smooth enough though there are some LOD pop up stuff. Battle system is fun, special team attacks and perfect dodges to execute counters are great. Alphen's special flame sword attacks deplete his HP so need to have Shionne ready with the healing art after the attack.
Took pics:
and while hair and clothes physics are great I cannot really see the PLOT physics stuff because Shionne's breastplate blocks it lol the same with Kisara's breastplate. Though you can see Shionne's southern PLOT lol
Took a video of it in motion lol :
The video I got after clearing the demo:
Character interactions are great + their english voices are great too. Graphics are great, game runs smooth enough though there are some LOD pop up stuff. Battle system is fun, special team attacks and perfect dodges to execute counters are great. Alphen's special flame sword attacks deplete his HP so need to have Shionne ready with the healing art after the attack.
Took pics:
and while hair and clothes physics are great I cannot really see the PLOT physics stuff because Shionne's breastplate blocks it lol the same with Kisara's breastplate. Though you can see Shionne's southern PLOT lol
Took a video of it in motion lol :
The video I got after clearing the demo:
I think this is going to be a good true trails game in a long while 
That's the impression i got from the demo. As long as the ending is good then it will be up there with FF7 Remake in my list...I think this is going to be a good true trails game in a long while